A MYSTERIOUS FRIDAY ON SATURDAY POST...These mystery critters of the seas are like artefacts from a wild dream.
There are 47 species of seahorses ~ genus hippocampus ~ worldwide.
Dwarf seahorses are only about an inch (2.5cm) long. The largest seahorses are the Central American 30cm/ 1 foot-long Hippocampus ingens.
Seahorses are usually found in warm tropical and subtropical shallow reef-waters.Seahorses are weak but incredibly graceful swimmers who seem to glide upright through the water. They cannot survive strong currents and require plenty of seaweed, reeds or other vegetation to hang on to.
This see how tiny this pygmy seahorse is compared to the plants:
Some species have the most incredible coloration, like this ghostly individual:
Others are camouflaged incredibly well:
See how sharply Denise's pygmy seahorse (Hippocampus denise) from the Western Pacific contrasts against this neutral background... more like a clay-modelled figure than a real-life trotterdonkey of the deep:
Seahorses are unique among creatures in that the males give birth and can carry newborn babies in a pouch.Look at these psychedelic youngsters:
... and these tiny stragglers ...
These are the videos I forgot to put on yesterday:
Diver meets wild seahorse. See what I mean about a dream-artefact...?
2: Seahorses found in River Thames:
... Have a cheery weekend, y'all!
Hello Gleds ~~ Interesting article
ReplyDeleteGleds with info that I didn't know.
Like the males give birth and carry the young in a pouch. Most unusual.
Thanks for your comments - the peas I mentioned were flowers
Sweet Peas.You can buy snap peas and snow peas, BUT you are right, You can't buy ordinary peas to shell and I miss them. Do you have a pic of Mother shelling peas. Take care,my friend Cheers, Merle.
Learned some stuff here. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI really like seahorses purely for the fact that the males give birth.
ReplyDeleteDo you realise we have a small section of grey matter in the brain called the hippocampus because it is vaguely seahorse shaped?
Another piece of useless information for you...
Best of all, the boys have the babies! Oh yeah!
ReplyDeleteMerle: So sweet peas don't actually give out edible peas?.. Well I never knew that... Must be like flowering cherries/etc..?
ReplyDeleteNo I haven't actually got that picture at home but it was in a book we had featuring the Tate Gallery collection from London and I always remember "Mother Shelling Peas" ... my Gran used to do the same thing on before Sunday lunch ...
AD: ;->...
Pussinboots: I never made that connexion... and as for it actually being seahorse-shaped ~ that's unreal!
Baino: ... aye, and they don't seem to be in too much agony either!!
Seahorses are fascinating. I have always liked them so much. And being a marine scientist, I've interacted with quite a few different species.
ReplyDeleteHey Gleds - there's a lady who lives in the UK whose blog I follow who is a sober alcoholic (but does not say as much on her blog) and would be happy to be an email buddy if you need one to help you through. I don't think she wants her email posted here but you can email me at justmejeannie@gmail.com if you think you could use some support and I will pass it along.
ReplyDelete